Wayward Anubis
by Rocker-Starlight
Summary: Curious of one interpertation of how the Warlord of Cruelty started and ended? This is one author's opinion of how it came about. Song-fic for Anubis and the Ancient, done to the song


This is a Ronin Warrior Song-Fic, done to the song "Carry on My Wayward Son," by Kansas originally, but the version that made me and my friends think of this song for the characters used, was the Malmsteen remake of it, which is actually my preferred version. Anyway, on with the fic!!!  
  
Disclaimer~I own nothing of Ronin, although my friend Mari would love me if I did. ~_^  
  
AN~This has been revised for spelling errors now. ^_^  
  
*NOTES*  
'-' =thoughts  
"-" = Talking  
- =song lyrics  
(-)=Point in time the section it titles happens  
  
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Carry On My Wayward Son, Ronin Style  
  
Carry on my wayward son  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more  
  
(prior to series)  
  
The Ancient sat, meditating, his staff floating in front of him, as he focused his thoughts. Suddenly, a vision filled his mind, almost pulling him from his meditation state, but he held, watching as the events unfolded.  
  
A man with long reddish hair stood, facing away from the Ancients vision, appearing to be in old style armor. His helmet was removed, and he appeared to be looking down at a fallen warriors body, a weapon stained with blood at his feet.   
  
The Ancient thought a moment, curious as to why the vision of this man had started, when he saw his enemy appear. Before the red haired man, a being in a large suit of grey/black armor appeared, bis back lined with swords, blades facing out, and his face a demonic styled man's face with his mouth wide open, and white hair flowing around it.   
  
Tulpa had returned to the world of man.  
  
The Ancient frowned slightly, knowing why the vision had started now, but held his thoughts, awaiting for the moment, to see who this man was. After a few minutes of silent discussion, as far as the Ancient could observe, until finally, Tulpa passed something to the man, which he took quickly. Then in a quick flash of light, the Ancient saw the Armor of Cruelty standing before him, Kursi-gama in hand.  
  
'He is the one who shall be the Warlord of Cruelty.' As the Ancient watched, he saw the man turn towards him, showing his face, although his mask covered it well still. But through even that, the Ancients sight saw a Kanji appear on his forehead, lighting through the darkness of the armor. 'Loyalty? Perhaps Fate has aloud me my final piece I needed to assure Tulpa's defeat, finally...'  
  
Once I rose above the noise and confusion  
Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion  
I was soaring ever higher  
But I flew too high  
  
(beginning of series)  
  
Anubis stared at the streets of the large city, observing the people as they walked below him. He sneered slightly, standing atop the building, only in his sub-armor, watching the little people of Tokyo run like little ants, beneath his feet. 'As is their rightful place.' He thought.   
  
He thought back, for the first time in a while, to the last time he had considered himself normal. He had been a warrior. One of the best. And then Master Tulpa had come to him, offering the chance to escape the life of those people who lived normal lives, and die as all do. He had accepted readily, taking the Armor of Cruelty, and learning to wield it true to it's name.  
  
He began laughing madly as he teleports out, seeing nothing to this world but the five armors they were required to find.  
  
Though my eyes could see I still was a blind man  
Though my mind could think I still was a mad man  
I can hear the voices when I'm dreaming  
I can hear them say  
  
(around first few episodes, but after the Ancient tried to bring Anubis to the good side, but he was returned)  
  
Anubis scowled at the sight before him, as he looked into the mirror at himself. He was standing in his room in the Dynasty, a few bruises on his body from his last encounter with the Ronin Warriors. 'Why is it, it seems whenever we have the upper hand, we somehow lose the edge we hold...' Anubis frowned more, slamming his fist against the dresser the mirror was on, only with enough force to crack the top of it.  
  
More and more, Anubis had been wondering about what they were doing, in this battle. He remembered the annoying Monk trying to turn him, but then, he felt the tug of the Dynasty on him again, and once again followed Master Tulpa.  
  
"So what are we fighting for, only to allow Tulpa to rule the human world?" He asked no one, leaving the answer to the breeze coming from his window. He was about to hit the dresser in frustration again, when he heard a knock at his door.  
  
"Enter." He stated simply, turning to see Sehkmet walk in, only in his sub-armor, as they all did when here. "What do you want now, Sehkmet, I am not in the mood for foolishness right now"  
  
Sehkmet gave a slight growling face at the harshness, obviously annoyed. "I came to discuss something." Anubis gave him a slight nod, signaling for him to continue. "I wondered... About what that meddling Monk said..."  
  
Anubis almost blinked. 'I am not the only one it seems who had his thoughts thinking oddly, from that Monk's words.' Sehkmet noted the silence, allowing himself to continue when he heard no rebuttal. "I have been thinking about what he said for a while now, I mean what he said to us in our he... minds. As far as I know, Master Tulpa has said nothing about it, and I do not think he knows. But what I was told...." He gave Anubis a questioning look, as if wondering if he should go on for a moment, "I makes me question what we are fighting for now."  
  
Anubis mentally smirked. 'So he is not simply a blowhard trying to think he can be a leader. He has some brains, it seems. And courage, to take the risk of speaking something that someone like Cale would consider treason.' He took a moment, deciding on the words he should use. "Sehkmet, we are fighting for the glory we wished for, the power we each wanted when we agreed to join Master Tulpa. The Monk's words..... could be wrong." He left it opening, knowing as their leader, he could not say what he felt right out, without risk of immediate problems arising. "We must make our own decision. Now leave, I need to sleep, and prepare for our next encounter with the Ronin's."  
  
Sehkmet nodded, and bowed formally, turning and walking out, not even slamming the door as he exited. Anubis turned back to the mirror, looking at his reflection again. 'He meant to say, he talked to us in our heart.... What he said held the truth. But what are we to do about it...' He turned away form his own gaze, walking to his bed, and dropping his sub-armor, laying in the silk sheets, to sleep.  
  
As he fell asleep, he dreamed. He knew he recognized it, because he had been having the same dream ever since the Ancient had spoken to them all in their hearts. He heard the voice of the Ancient, above the other voices he heard, but they all said the same thing, everytime he dreamed.....   
  
'Carry on my wayward son  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more'  
  
Masquerading as a man with a reason  
My charade is the event of the season  
And if I claim to be a wise man  
It surely means that I don't know  
  
(after the Ancient dies, and Anubis takes over for him)  
  
Anubis sat in the small room, holding the Ancient's staff in his right hand, looking out a window at the starlit sky, as the wind gently moved the chimes on the staff to ring. The Ancient had given the staff to him, helping him break the Dynasty's control over him, but he had died as he did. Since then, He had battled along side the Ronin's, much to their surprise, and fought against his former comrades.  
  
'Why me, Oh Ancient One? I wish I knew why you chose me.' He looked up, seeing a shooting star go by his vision as he thought. Smiling, he took the sight as a good omen, as he turned away, walking to the center of the simple room, sitting cross-legged. He set the staff across his legs, as he attempted to gain a meditative state, focusing on what the Ancient had said, before his unfortunate death.  
  
On a stormy sea of moving emotion  
Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean  
I set a course for winds of fortune  
But I hear the voices say  
  
(Right after the episode, where Anubis tried hitting Lady Kayura, but could not)  
  
Anubis looked to the castle he had long ago lived in, where now his new allies fought to save their lives, and the lives of those they loved. He glanced at Mia and Yuli, knowing in their minds, they were thinking the same thing, wondering if the Ronin's were all right, and how their battle was going.   
  
As the boat they were floating on shifted slightly, Anubis barely showed noticing, his footing instantly catching himself before his balance was even lost. He glanced at the Ancient's Staff, giving it a curious look. 'Ancient One, why would the staff not strike Lady Kayura? I wish you could tell me what I must do...' He looked back, making sure the person working the boat was steering it towards the castle, and looked back to the Castle again, feeling in his bones, his end may be coming soon. As he thought, he swore he heard the Ancient in his mind, speaking to him as he had in his dreams oh so long ago...  
  
'Carry on my wayward son  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more'  
  
No!  
Carry on  
You will always remember   
Carry on  
Nothing equals the splendor  
Now your life's no longer empty  
Surely heaven waits for you  
  
(Anubis & Kayura/Batamon's last battle end)  
  
Anubis raised his Kursi-gama, seeing the Attack coming at him. Gritting his teeth, he held his ground, feeling the power from Lady Kayura's 'Star Sword Scream' striking at him. But instead of being fatally injured, he felt the energy filling his regained Armor of Cruelty. As the attack finished, he held his ground, remembering his promise to the Ancient. 'I will not fail you, Oh Ancient One..'  
  
He spun the chain on the Kursi-gama over his head in a fast spiral, the energy in the armor crackling in the air. "Quake With Fear!" He screamed his sure-kill attack, whipping the end of the chain around a moment, before sending the spiked end towards Lady Kayura's body, focusing the attack at her. As the energy from both sure-kills released into the focused attack, he was sure he could hear Badamon laughing, thinking this was all that was left.  
  
Taking an almost hesitant step forward, he leapt, his determination holding his resolve as he leapt into the power of his own attack, wrapping his arms around Kayura, holding her tight, hearing Badamon protest from her body. "Leave her, Badamon! Leave her body at once!" He released the rest of the energy in his armor and himself, striking at Badamon, before he pushed himself away.  
  
Just as he started to release her, he focused his thoughts, before willing his armor to release itself from him, and bond with Kayura. He reverted to the Monk's clothing, as first the sub-armor formed over Kayura's body, and then slowly forming into the Armor of Cruelty. He landed on the railing of the bridge they had been fighting near, barely standing, but holding his balance, as the armor brought Kayura to the ground safely.   
  
She blinked twice, looking around, her voice no longer holding the haunting echo it once had when she had been controlled. "Where... where am I?" she asked, looking questioningly at the armor, before looking to Anubis.  
  
'Carry on my wayward son  
There'll be peace when you are done  
Lay your weary head to rest  
Don't you cry no more'  
  
Anubis smiled softly, hearing the Ancient's words one last time, as he looked at the new armor wielder. "Lady Kayura, you've come back to us...." His eyes closed as his strength final gave. His legs gave out, his body falling forward, until the last thing he felt on his body was the cool water of the small lake surrounding him. As the last of his life left his body, hearing the saddening cry from young Yuli, he smiled softly to himself in his heart. 'You've come back at last...'   
  
He felt himself leaving his body, and looked up, not seeing the Dynasty sky that had been above him before, but the form of the Ancient One, smiling softly down at him, with a soft white glow around him. "Welcome, my wayward son." He extended his hand to him. "Lay your head to rest, do not cry. You have done what you could, and can finally find your peace..." Anubis smiled, following him, feeling the tranquility of this new place allow him to focus on the Ancient's final sentence..'You can finally find your peace....'  
  
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Well, how do you like it? I know, probably off from the stuff that really happened, but you have to remember, I am learning about the series, but I do not have access to the episodes where I can watch them as insanely as I would like to. That's why I try to catch moments the show didn't show, and give people a glimpse into things the show doesn't give you, that I saw, so people can see something new. Anyway, I hope people do enjoy this, for what it is, a simple song-fic I wrote for people to like. Anyway, R&R, and what not, and hope to see people later!!!  
  
Rocker Starlight 


End file.
